The Liberty and Livelihood March served mainly as a focal point for hunt supporters. But marchers voiced a host of other opinions, economic and environmental. ANDY DAVEY joined the demonstration.

IN a massive demonstration of solidarity, thousands of people from across Wiltshire descended on London to protest against the decline of rural life.

The Liberty and Livelihood March was a peaceful demonstration, but banners on the march declaring 'rural rebellion' indicated the discontent in the countryside.

Many of the estimated 407,791 protesters insisted if the Government continued to ignore the plight of the countryside they would be forced to take more militant action.

This was reflected by one banner, with a caricature of Tony Blair dressed in camouflage, which said "never mind the foreign war, don't start a civil war".

The first countryside march in 1998 attracted 280,000 protesters and was prompted by efforts in Parliament to ban hunting with dogs.

A second march planned in 2001 was cancelled because of the foot and mouth epidemic.

Kay Gardener, from Pinkney, near Sherston, who regularly writes articles about foxhounds, said: "It looks like there are nearly 400,000 people here today, making this one of the biggest demonstrations in British history.

"If the Government ignore the march they would be very foolish and there would be a real feeling of civil unrest in the countryside, which there hasn't been in the for hundreds of years."

"The Government risks criminalising a lot of very respectable, law abiding people if it continues to persecute the countryside.

"I think we have shown the strength of feeling in the countryside on a wide variety of issues.

"But I think if we were to ask everyone who marched today, even if they don't hunt themselves, they would probably defend the right of others to do so."

Pro-hunting sympathisers from across the world joined the march to lend their support and there were contingents from the USA and France.

Jenny Clark, from Burton, who went on the march with friends, neighbours and her children, said: "We marched today because we are from the farming community and we go hunting.

"The school we all went to has shut down, the shop we had in the village has gone and we have only one village pub left out of two. We have nothing left in our community and my father would turn in his grave if he knew why we came up here today."

Detractors of the march, including animal rights groups, claimed it was shanghaied by the hunting community, who were protesting against Government proposals to ban hunting with dogs.

But the banners on display and the number of protesters reflected the wide range of grievances in the countryside.

There were placards protesting against supermarkets, foreign imports, shooting, fishing, housing development, European bureaucracy and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

But the anger of the protesters was mainly directed towards the Labour Government and Tony Blair

Many protesters said they felt the Prime Minister is more concerned with banning fox hunting than addressing the real issues of the countryside, including unemployment, poor services and the crisis in farming prompted by BSE and the foot and mouth epidemic.

Protesters claimed the countryside is being targeted to detract from the Government's failing policies in crime, transport, health and education.

They said the Government claimed to be committed to fairness, tolerance and diversity but they have never felt so isolated and prejudiced against by an urban-based Government ignorant of the frustration felt by people living in the country.

Farmer Lesley Nilson, 71, from Sopworth, said: "I think the march will achieve a lot for farming and fox hunting. Hopefully it will make people realise what's going on in the countryside and farming at the moment. The Government needs to know how people are feeling."